Carton retaining mechanism



Dec. 4, 1962 J. B. BRUSH CARTON RETAINING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 18, 1961 INVENTOR. JOHN B. BRUSH Wfi W ATTORNEY Dec. 4, 19 62 J. B. BRUSH 3,0

CARTON RETAINING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 18, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 o I I6 I |3 r y 25 I4 C 37 2o .2 2 3|o 27,

I so 39 25 INVENTOR. JOHN B. BRUSH ATTORNEY United States Patent )fiice 3,iiii,5? Patented Dec. 4, 195* Procter 84 Gamble Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, at corpo= ration of Ohio Filed Sept. 18, 1961, Ser. No. 138,961 Claims. ct. 93-53 The invention is directed primarily to an improved means for removing collapsed cartons from a stack or assembly and squaring'up or opening the tubular bodies thereof, especially as a part of a carton filling and sealing machine in which the cartons are erected, closed at one end, filled with a measured quantity of contents and then closed on the other end.

As is well known, cartons for the general purpose described come to the filling machine in folded and glued condition, i.e., with tubular bodies in the collapsed form, there being closure flaps articulated to the ends of the body walls. The collapsed cartons are placed on the machine in groups or assemblies, frequently called stacks. The machine is designed to remove the cartons individually from the stack, an operation known as feeding. In the course of feeding, the cartons are erected, an operation called squaring-up, and are placed in pockets between spaced abutments or blocks on a traveling conveyor after which the other operations mentioned above are performed.

In the typical machine, carton feeding to the traveling conveyor takes place as the conveyor passes around a horizontally oriented idler pulley. The blocks or abutments on the traveling conveyor form pockets which receive a partially squared-up carton. These blocks or abutments are in a radially separated condition when the traveling conveyor passes around the idler pulley. Thus, there is a tendency for the partially squared-up cartons to be forced radially outwardly and away from the traveling conveyor because of non-parallelism in the surfaces of the blocks as they travel around the pulley, because of the radial acceleration of the carton when traveling in a curved path, and also because the carton is given a rotational motion about its vertical axis by the carton feeding mechanism. This condition has been largely eliminated by controlling the springiness of the carton material, by providing shallow grooves in the forward face of each block on the traveling conveyor to engage a rear corner of the partially squared-up carton and by carefully controlling the dimensional tolerances of the carton blanks.

It has been found diflicult in many cases to carefully control all of the above-mentioned variables in carton blanks especially when several sources of supply are being used or as sometimes happens, a given supplier is unable to control the quality of his cartons within the limits required to operate effectively with the aforementioned means of holding the squared-up cartons between the blocks.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a simple and direct acting mechanism which engages the rear surface of squared-up cartons after they are fed into the pockets of a traveling conveyor thereby preventing the cartons from being dislodged from their pockets as the traveling conveyor passes around a pulley.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a mechanism as aforesaid which will retain squared-up cartons in their pockets efficiently, even through the cartons may be supplied with great variations in board stiffness, scoring depths, and dimensional variations. This objective is accomplished without requiring delicate readjustment of the carton feeding and conveying mechanism for variations in carton quality.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a mechanism which permits random use of cartons which are at great variance in quality as received from several suppliers without any loss of operating efficiency.

Still a further object of the invention is the provision of means for holding squared-up cartons in the pockets of a traveling conveyor, thereby reducing losses resulting from downtime of associated machinery caused when an improperly held carton becomes dislodged and thereby increasing the net output of the entire operation.

Briefly stated, one embodiment of the invention contemplates the provision of a plurality of hook-like members mounted for pivotal movement on the upper face of a pulley having a traveling conveyor running around it. The ends of the hook-like members are normally superposed with the blocks or abntments secured to the traveling conveyor as it moves around the idler pulley. Means are provided for pivoting each hook-like memher so that its end portion advances and engages the rear portion of a partially squared-up carton which has been fed from the stack to a pocket in the conveyor. The hook-like member holds the carton in place as it travels with the conveyor for a portion of its movement around the pulley. When the partially square-up carton has been moved sufiiciently, it comes abreast of a stationary guide rail which holds the carton in its pocket for the remainder of its travel. At that point, means are provided for retracting the hook-like member to its original position. The hook-like member remains in this position until it is again actuated at the carton feeding station as mentioned above.

While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject mat-- ter regarded as forming the present invention, it is believed the invention will be better understood from the following description taken in connection with the acconn panying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary plan view of that portion of a carton filling and sealing machine where the cartons are fed from the magazine to the traveling conveyor.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary elevation taken along the line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary isometric view, partially in cross section, showing the details of a hook-like member mounted on the upper surface of the pulley.

FIGURES 4 and 5 are fragmentary plan views somewhat similar to FIGURE 1 in which a carton blank is shown in various stages of being squared-up in the course of feeding the traveling conveyor from the magazine.

The drawings have been restricted to those mechanical elements which are necessary to the understanding of the invention. Thus, machine frame elements have been shown partially in some figures and omitted in others; drive elements have not been illustrated as such, and no portions of the carton filling and closing machine have been shown excepting those parts with which the invention hereof is directly concerned. Non-illustrated matter are well known in the art or are within the skill of the worker therein to construct in the light of the teachings which follow.

Referring now to the drawings, and especially FIG- URE 1 thereof, a portion of the frame of a typical carton filling and sealing machine is shown at 11. An idler pulley 12 has a hub 13 which is secured to the shaft 14- and is freely rotatable in the frame 11. A flexible metal belt 15 having a series of spaced blocks or abutments 16 rides over the pulley 12. A drive pulley (not shown) of a conventional carton filling and sealing machine is used to drive the belt 15 at substantially constant speed as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

A conventional carton magazine is provided to permit fan feeding of collapsed carton blanks to the traveling spasms conveyor. The magazine 17 is provided with guides 18 and 19 which confine the stacked carton blanks 20 in substantial alignment. A forward pressure is exerted upon the stack, as may be accomplished in various ways. If the machine is arranged horizontally as illustrated, a resilient abutment (not shown) may be placed behind the cartons in the stack or an underlying conveyor may be used which exerts forward pressure on the stack. To prevent the cartons from leaving the stack prematurely, a plurality of fingers (not shown) engage the upper and lower portions of the carton blanks. An arm 21 secured to the oscillating shaft 22 has a suction cup 23 attached to its outer end. A kicker member 24 is mounted for reciprocating movement alongside the carton magazine.

In the drawing, the cartons 20 have been illustrated as structures having tubular bodies and conventional seal end flaps. It will be understood that the apparatus herein described is applicable to modified carton structures with various forms of closure flaps, cartons with the socalled Van Buren ears and others.

The structure as described above is all conventional and will be familiar to persons skilled in the packaging machinery art. The new and novel structural features of this invention will now be described.

A plurality of hook-like members 25 are mounted for pivotal movement on the idler pulley 12. As shown in FIGURE 3, the hook-like members 25 are each provided with an angular projection 26, an abutment portion 27 and an upwardly extending cam follower 28. The hooklike members 25 ride on the washers 29 and are freely pivoted on stud shafts 30 which have enlarged heads to retain the hook-like members. Stationary stops 31 and 32 (FIGURE 1) are provided in the face of the pulley 12 to limit the movement of the hook-like members. It

will be noted that the hook-like members 25, when retracted, have their angular projections 26 substantially superposed with the blocks 16 as the latter move around the pulley 12. In order to maintain this relationship, the belt 15 is providedwith inwardly projecting lugs (not shown) which engage corresponding notches (not shown) in the idler pulley 12. This conventional structure will be familiar to those skilled in the art.

A support 33 is rigidly attached to the frame 11 as at 34 and 35. A bracket 36 is secured to the support 33 and holds a stationary cam track 37 which is used to pivot the hook-like members into their operative position. A second bracket 38 supports the stationary cam track 39 which is used to return the hook-like members 25 to their original position.

The operation of the mechanism will now be described. A carton blank is initially engaged by the suction cup 23 and quickly withdrawn from the carton magazine '17. The quick oscillating motion of the suction cup partially squares up the carton while it is in motion. The corner C of the carton Zita (FIGURE 4) strikes the conveyor belt 15 which breaks the carton blank free of the suction cup 23 and puts the corner C into the path of a block 16 traveling over pulley 12. As the blocks 16 are moved by the traveling conveyor 15, the kicker member 24 is moved outwardly as shown in FIGURE to force the forward portion of the partially squared-up carton 20a into the pocket between adjoining blocks 16. As each block 16 comes abreast of the magazine 17, the cam follower 28 engages the cam track 37 thereby pivoting the hook-like member 25 until its abutment 27 strikes the stop 32. The hook-like member is held in this position for a portion of its travel as the follower 28 continues to engage the cam track 37. While in this position, the angular projection 26 positively engages the rear end wall of the carton 20a (FIGURES l, 2 and 5), thereby preventing the carton from being moved radially outwardly from the pocket due to the radially separated condition of the blocks 16.

As will be seen by referring to FIGURES l, 2 and 5, the upper and lower stationary guide rails 40 and 41 engage the forward corner D of the carton 26a to prevent its dislodgment from the pocket when the kicker member 24 breaks contact with the carton 20a. Thus the guide rails 40 and 41 and the hook-like members 25 hold the squared-up carton in its pocket as the pulley 12 rotates until the carton has moved sufficiently so that the guide rails 40 and 41 will prevent its dislodgment from the pocket. At that point, the cam track 39 engages the follower 28 to return the hook-like member 25 to its original position where the angular projection 26 is superposed with the block 16.

Variations of the described embodiment will be obvious to those skilled in the art. For example, differently shaped hook-like members may be pivoted on the belt blocks rather than on the pulley surface. In such a construction a cam arrangement can be used to actuate these members. Alternately, a single curved shutter member operating between the carton magazine and the traveling conveyor so that it supports the rear edge of the carton could be used during the critical portion of the pulleys revolution. The shutter would be retracted after the carton had been securely placed in its pocket. The invention may also be practiced with other kinds of carton feeding and squaring-up devices such, for example, as the device shown in US. Patent 2,746,363 issued to DC Anderson.

These and other variations within the scope of the invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art. intended, however, that any change or modification coming within the spirit of the invention is to be covered in the appended claims as coming within its scope. What is claimed as new is:

1. in a device for feeding collapsed cartons from a magazine and inserting them in squared condition on a moving conveyor where the conveyor runs around a pulley, said conveyor having a series of spaced blocks which form a series of pockets for receiving and moving the cartons, the combination comprising a plurality of pivotally mounted hook-like members moving in juxtaposed relationship to the curved portion of the path of said moving conveyor as it passes over the pulley, means for pivoting each of said hook-like members outwardly so that they engage the trailing portion of the partially squaredup carton when it is initially placed in a pocket of the conveyor, and means for withdrawing the hook-like member after the carton travels to a position where it is held against the conveyor by a stationary guard rail.

2. In a device for feeding collapsed cartons from a carton magazine and inserting them in squared condition on a conveyor running around a pulley, said conveyor having a plurality of spaced blocks attached thereto forming a plurality of carton pockets for receiving and conveying successive partially erected carton blanks, the combination comprising a plurality of pivoted hook-like members fastened to said pulley so that each member is normally superposed with the blocks on said conveyor as it runs over the said pulley, means for pivoting each of said hook-like members so that they engage the trailing portion of a partially squared-up carton being fed from said magazine to each of said pockets on said conveyor and means for returning said hook-like member to its initial position after the conveyor travels to a position where a stationary guide rail holds thecarton in its pocket.

3. The structure claimed in claim 2 including a pair of stop members mounted on said pulley for each of said hook-like members, said stop members limiting the pivotal movement of said hook-like members in either direction.

4. In a device for feeding collapsed cartons from a carton magazine and inserting them in squared condition on a conveyor running around a pulley, said conveyor having a plurality of spaced blocks attached thereto forming a plurality of carton pockets for receiving and conveying successive partially erected carton blanks, the combination comprising a plurality of hook-like members spaced around said pulley so that the outer end of each aoeasve successive hook-like member is superposed over each of said blocks on said conveyor when it passes over said pulley, a pivot for each of said hook-like members, a cam follower mounted on each of said hook-like members, a stationary cam mounted to advance each of said hooklike members as they approach the carton magazine so that the trailing edge of each successive partially squaredup carton is positively engaged and held by the outer end of said hook-like member and a second stationary cam engaged by each of said cams followers to return the said hook-like members, said stop members limiting the squared-up carton has traveled in its pocket to a point where it is retained by a stationary guide rail.

5. The structure claimed in claim 4 including a pair of stop members mounted on said pulley for each of said hook-like members, said stop members limiting the pivotal movement of said hook-like members in either direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 563,314 Germany Nov. 3, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFIGATE @URRECTION Patent Nos 3,066,539 December 4, 1962 John B, Brush It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 5, line 11, strike out members, said stop members limit ng", and insert instead members to their orginal positions after Signed and sealed this 21st day of May 1963,

(SEAL) Lttest:

ERNEST w. SWIDER DAVID LADD testing Officer Commissioner of Patents 

